Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-02
THE PLASTERERS, STRIKE.
Resisting an Increase Of the Days
Labor From 81 GO Hours.

Tnere Is general strike among the plasterers Of
the city, which went into effect yesterday, and
to-day no members OF the Journeymen's union are
al WORK. The reason for this action OF the jour-
neymen is stated by them to be as follows: on
Monday they received notice from the employing
piasterers that on and after February LIST the
working day would be- nine hours instead or eight
and hall, as IL had been all winter The journey
men state that IL has been customary 10 work
during the winter shorte. hours per day than
during The summer, when the days are longer.
The change to the longer hours has usually leen
MADE by the middle Of March. But this year.
.uss say, the master pisstererS without any po-
uncSion issued an order that the nine hour day
would begin on the next day after receiving the
notice. IL seemed, they saw, as IL the employees
msie u!lng 20 take advantage Of the dull
scaSou anu wrs,St from them an advantage which
Ihey would not try TO obtain later in the ssason.
For TINS reason the Journeymen determined 90 10
IuSe 70 go 70 work NJ the longer hours and I'm con-
sequence all plssterers ceased wors yesterday In
Sucn cases where boss carpenters employ plas-
tererS they have not required the longer hours,
ana tneSe men are still at work. The pay received
py piastefers Is $3.50 per day. but the )ourneymen
hour. f"'' WV VI WV
The Plasterers' union have appointed commit
Tee TO confer with q committee OF the Bosss Plas-
ererS union, and they have 50 informed the
bosses, but this morning they had received no re-
Spouse to their communication. Tben were some
We've plasterers employed by Mr.. James Hughes
AT une pension building, and these men left the
teraay and to-day there were only two appren-
ttces at work.
WHAT THE BOSSES SAY.
The boss plasterers say that when work was re-
sumed last summer, after the suspension, it was
on the basis OF nine hours. This continued until
November last, when the journeymen demanded a
Gay ol eight hours and half, with the same pay.
AS many or the plasterers had made contracts
they were compelled TO accede 10 these
demands. although in former years when
there was the usual winter reduction In
nours there was also a corresponding reduction in
tne wages. Ga Friday the boss plaserers associ-
ation decided TO return 10 the nine-hour DAY. ana
the lourneymen'S association was formally adj
Nlseu VI mat TACT at their meeting on Monday
evening: But they de.cr;uimed 10 20 out The
posses think that some settlement VIII be effected
In the course vi Week.
Mt james Hughes. the contractor on the new
PENSION building, who was largely effected IVY the
cIahge IN hours, told STAR n. urter that he was
willing 10 grant any hours they wanted II lacy
WOULD only stuck TO what they had agreed to do
He iad made his bid on the basis OF nine hours and
being compelled to go on with H. ne had lost since
November on account OF the half hour about
Si,24s lie now wanted the men 10 come back 10
what they had agreed upon. fie said there were
ABOUT Twelve union boss plasterers and about
tNehly-tlgat non-union boss plasterers and the
journey men seemed to be bent upon running the
few men who had stood by them. la some places
they piaStered where the iaths had lssI nut ON by
scaDS, and In other cases they would not: but vet
the Union bosses were Obliged To compete with
bosses paying low wogeS. lie said he thought the
men were not only unfair but unjust In this
matter.